NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — UC San Diego opened Big West play with a 1-0 victory over CSUN on Wednesday at Matador Soccer Field.
Kennadi Borg scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute, heading in a cross from
Natalie Oca to lift the Tritons to 5-2-2 overall and 1-0 in Big West Conference play.
The goal marked the second of Borg's career and her first career game-winning goal. The Tritons finished with a 16-7 advantage in shots and put five attempts on goal, while
Charlotte Wilfert made four saves to record the shutout. The victory also marked UC San Diego's fifth all-time win against CSUN, improving the Tritons to 5-3-2 against the Matadors.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego created early opportunities, opening the match with a pair of shots and two corner kicks in the first several minutes. The Tritons continued to pressure the Matadors throughout the opening half, generating a four-shot stretch later in the period.
CSUN put two early attempts on goal, but Wilfert turned both away to keep the match scoreless. UC San Diego continued to create chances through
Jenna Grider,
Alexis Nguyen and
Kiki Vostermans, while the Matadors' defense kept the Tritons off the scoreboard.
Natalie Oca added two first-half shots after entering in the 34th minute, including an attempt that was saved in the 42nd minute.
Karize Madero also recorded a shot late in the half as the teams entered halftime tied, 0-0.
The Tritons continued to apply pressure after the break, with Vostermans forcing a save less than a minute into the second half. Nguyen followed with a shot that went wide before hitting the top woodwork in the 55th minute.
UC San Diego continued to generate opportunities as the second half progressed. Borg added a shot in the 56th minute, while Vostermans created another chance shortly afterward. Wilfert kept CSUN off the board with saves in the 53rd and 60th minutes as the match remained scoreless.
The Tritons finally broke through in the 80th minute. Oca played a ball from the left wing into the box, where Borg rose to head the cross into the net from the center of the box at 79:44, giving UC San Diego a 1-0 lead.
UC San Diego continued to defend its advantage while maintaining pressure in the attacking end. The Tritons earned three corner kicks in the final 10 minutes, including two in quick succession in the 87th minute, before closing out the shutout and securing the Big West-opening victory.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons are now 5-3-2 all-time against CSUN.
- The win tied the program record for most wins in a Division I season.
- Borg's goal was the second of her career and her first career game-winner.
- Charlotte Wilfert made four saves and recorded her 4th shutout of the season
- UC San Diego finished with a 16-7 advantage in shots and a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal.
QUOTEABLE
"I'm proud of the performance overall. I think the game was pretty dominant on both sides of the ball for us. Defensively, we made some adjustments at halftime that really limited their chances in the second half, and the girls were able to do that seamlessly. I feel like we were very dynamic offensively all game. We got a lot of crosses because that's the space they were giving us, but we were really efficient in how we got those players the ball. They just kept believing in it. They didn't go away because maybe it wasn't working for periods of the game, but all it was going to take was one good cross and a belief in a run like Kennedy did. It was a tremendous goal. The buildup to it was great, Nat's 1-v-1 ability to beat her player and then Kennedy's run at the back door. She really believed in the moment and put it away. It was a well-deserved win for the group and a huge win to start conference with three points. We got off on the right foot, and we're looking to have that momentum carry us into Saturday," said UC San Diego head coach
Kristin Jones '04.
UP NEXT
The Tritons return home Saturday, Sept. 26, hosting Utah Valley in their second Big West match of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West inÂ
NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.comÂ
or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
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